Takings stolen from Chucklehead stall at Lambeth Country Show - crowdfunder launched

They’re a company that’s been trading for 9 years and operates at many festivals all over the country each year. They are a professional outfit and any buisness that operates on a cash basis should be taking precautions to protect that cash, but end of the day losses due to theft can be set against tax

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Just to correct this: they're a tiny rural family-run operation that trade at modest-sized "food festivals and agricultural events" rather than big music festivals.

Just to correct this: they're a tiny rural family-run operation that trade at modest-sized "food festivals and agricultural events" rather than big music festivals.

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They’ve been trading 9 years so they are not a naive trader and are profitable with cash reserves of over 50k with liabilities of 10k. This hit won’t wipe them out and losses to theft are tax deductible

They’ve been trading 9 years so they are not a naive trader and are profitable with cash reserves of over 50k with liabilities of 10k. This hit won’t wipe them out and losses to theft are tax deductible

Not surprisingly, they're a bit disheartened to read some of the things being said here, and they sent me this which I trust explains their position.

Personally, I think some people should be ashamed of themselves for the way they've acted in this thread.

We have public liability insurance, but it’s extremely hard almost impossible to be insured against cash theft. We had brought 6 card machines - most of them hired from a company who told us we wouldn’t have a problem with GPRS… we did and on Saturday all our card machines stopped working so 80% of our takings were cash. This is something we will talk to the Show about next year!! Not sure where a holding of 50k comes from. We certainly haven’t - generally most of our money gets put back to pay for shows and other expenses. We are a tiny company - just Mike and I, the people you see at Lambeth are friends and family. We’re a tiny company that’s happened upon a big show…it was much smaller when we started doing it about 18 years ago. We’ve been doing agricultural shows and food festivals for about 20 years and we’ve built up to about 25 every year. This is our only music festival - everything else we do, is about 5% of this show.

Next year, after the show, all being well, we are going to give back any money we receive to a charity in Brixton (Brixton Buzz’s choice).

This show of solidarity and kindness is showing us through a really difficult time, but in a year’s time we would like to give it back and maybe more.

I’d rather donate any spare cash I might have to charities rather than profitable buisnesses

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Now that they've stated that they will be donating "any money we receive to a charity in Brixton" and that, "..in a year’s time we would like to give it back and maybe more," will you be donating yourself now?

Now that they've stated that they will be donating "any money we receive to a charity in Brixton"

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Thanks for posting up their message above editor but I don't think they say this do they?...giving the money to a charity in Brixton this year would defeat the object of the fundraising to help them recoup the losses from this theft so it doesn't make sense to imply they will this year.

"..in a year’s time we would like to give it back and maybe more,"

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Yes, this is what they have said and it's a great gesture of reciprocal solidarity and a way of investing in the local community, some of which will be donating to help them now.

Thanks for posting up their message above editor but I don't think they say this do they?...giving the money to a charity in Brixton this year would defeat the object of the fundraising to help them recoup the losses from this theft so it doesn't make sense to imply they will this year.

Yes, this is what they have said and it's a great gesture of reciprocal solidarity and a way of investing in the local community, some of which will be donating to help them now.

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Sorry, I didn't make that clear. I meant that they'd said that they would be giving the money away next year and the crowdfunding money is going to help through the rest of this year.

There was plenty of security around the normal bars. Not that i could see a need for it at all, since the bar staff had been ordered to make sure you paid the money for the drinks before they even attempted to pour, or in the case of the cans of Red Stripe, fetch them from a table behind them (well worth a fiver eh?), lest you make off without paying.

There was a lot of security around when I went to the Country Show. So what happened? I don't see more security being needed. Plenty of them around.

As Council insist on wall and lots of security I think serious look at how this is working needs to be done.

Clearly criminals were able to steal large amounts of money in full sight of the hunky security guards.

Made the present security set up look like Muppets.

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The security are there to look after Lambeth's interests, not those of the public at large. I would imagine that the larger beer stalls had their own private security.

You will be able to pickpocket, snatch and pilfer to your heart's content. But try to get a Gordon's gin in a tin on the other side of the fence and you'll be rugby tackled to the ground and forcibly ejected.

Now that they've stated that they will be donating "any money we receive to a charity in Brixton" and that, "..in a year’s time we would like to give it back and maybe more," will you be donating yourself now?

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I will donate tomorrow when I get paid, as well as buying some mail order.

I stand by my assertion that buying cider off them is the best way to get them through this.

I will donate tomorrow when I get paid, as well as buying some mail order.

I stand by my assertion that buying cider off them is the best way to get them through this.

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Well, they've stated that this cash is really going to help them now in the short term, and seeing as they're going to give it all away next year to a local charity, it seems like a win/win to me. Most of all for me, it's about the gesture of support and solidarity.

Well, they've stated that this cash is really going to help them now in the short term, and seeing as they're going to give it all away next year to a local charity, it seems like a win/win to me. Most of all for me, it's about the gesture of support and solidarity.

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If it restores peoples' faith in humanity, then it is money well spent. And, like you say, it is a deferred donation to something local.

I hope the thieves choke on whatever they have bought with the proceeds.

Yes - it is a business. It is a small business which comes every year to the Lambeth Country Show and which has been very popular with people from these boards. IIRC, its stall has been the meeting place at quite a few of these events over the years.

A local guy who runs a local bulletin board for local people most of whom are local to the Lambeth Country Show, has taken it upon himself to do a collection to repay some of the money that was stolen from this business at the Show. His motives for doing it are clearly not to help some big business to thrive, but to help a small business continue to survive, and for that small business to continue to feel positive about the Show and to come next year so that, presumably, urbanites can continue to enjoy the cider and to have an established meeting place.

Personally, I think it is a lovely gesture of editor, and I am pleased to be member of the community of which he is a central part.

No-one is insisting that you donate.

Why don't you fuck off away from this thread and stop trying to spoil a nice gesture?